S E E L E
by Arg0s5
Summary: [[ This is the world at the birth of SEELE.... ]] NOTE: Only for the serious readers and philosophers of the NGE Series.
1. Article Thesis

===Project SEELE: Evangelion===  
  
(The Trailer for the fanfic could be found at: =/read.php?storyid=1311036= )  
  
Disclaimer- In the tradition of every author upon submission of these fictions. I hold no responsibility for the misuse of characters, understanding, and involvement of characters from the NGE series into this work. I do not hold property rights to NGE or association with Gainax. Although any abuse of using or manipulating this work towards use elsewhere, without permission, will be cited by the Writer's Guild of America unless proven otherwise by the court of law. Thank you and come again! ^_^  
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FOREWORD=  
  
2000 AD.  
  
Crime has escalated in the growing societies of man.  
  
Technological advances begin to incorporate into Classified Projects.  
  
Humanity degrades with each infliction of "security" induced by chemicals in foods and drinks.  
  
The U.N. has increased their policies on economy, security, and welfare.  
  
Gehirn is established after the deciphering of key elements within the Dead Sea Scrolls.  
  
Gehirn is commissioned by privately owned corporations and bureacracies to uncover the secrets to end world hunger and future catastrophes.  
  
A rumor has begun to circulate amongst the tabloids of a growing bureacrating superpower.  
  
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Project EVA has not been commenced.  
  
Human Instrumentality Project has not been defined.  
  
This is the past...  
  
This is the world at the birth of SEELE.  
  
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NOTE: The characters you will encounter during this view of the past will not link to all characters within the NGE series. This will aim to provide you, as readers, with the glimpse of a reality which provided the foundation for NGE's history.  
  
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	2. Article S1Dawn

===Project SEELE: Evangelion===  
  
Disclaimer- In the tradition of every author upon submission of these fictions. I hold no responsibility for the misuse of characters, understanding, and involvement of characters from the NGE series into this work. I do not hold property rights to NGE or association with Gainax. Although any abuse of using or manipulating this work towards use elsewhere, without permission, will be cited by the Writer's Guild of America unless proven otherwise by the court of law. Thank you and come again! ^_^  
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He moved beyond his computer laboratory, strewn with wires and tubes with more wires from top to bottom around a central pillar, four big-screen monitors side-by-side hung high for all to view, and two smaller ones for him and some others to operate on a usable level where a keyboard sat just below. He knocked on the outer side of his comrade's cubicle set on the outer boundary from the island that was his computer lab, this set space for scientists were identical to the others on the boundary, setup like a firing range where only the target of success through holographic simulation would greet you beyond your station.  
  
"Your articulation is quite impressive," although she was clearly addressing the young doctor, Kyosato Himura, there was no given expression or attention directed to him other than that remark.  
  
Kyosato gave a half-grin as he looked toward her work, she was the top of her class a few years ago, surpassing Kyosato who was just average in their advanced high school classes. Currently, the doctor, Elana Melina, was calculating the density of armor needing to be used toward equipping on to genetically altered humans. Although she protested genetic alterations, it was entailed in her occupation not to question the work of the government. Since the unification of the world in light of a near disaster a few months earlier, it became ever more difficult for Elana to make any complaints at all about her project. But Kyosato knew she was not the type to speak out when it would only be a waste of her time.  
  
Finally, Elana looked up from her comfy leather seat, shattering Kyosato's calm form with her stunning brown eyes. She looked directly at him with a steady gaze, having no expression still. She broke this mold with that uncommon yet warming smile of hers, "So what's up?"  
  
He hesitated as he always did, his half-smile faded as he tried to draw up the point of why he came to her station. Leaning back against the cubicle wall, he looked away from her then up, hoping to pull some idea from the scant wirings on the steel-plated ceiling. "Hold on, I remembered it."  
  
A minute passed by precisely, depicting on the digital clock at one of the monitor screen's corners, that the time was 10: 26 PM in Shanghai, China. Yes, that is where the facility was located at. Commissioned as a scientific union between China, Japan, and the United States, towards the further research and development of genetics from the unearthed and unknown DNA found within the elements of the earth. A few biblical scholars, especially from the Vatican City in Italy, predicted some catastrophe in the unearthing of these specimens that they claimed to have been the imprisoned forms of Angels. Kyosato wondered why he began to ponder this, but found his thoughts interrupted by Elana.  
  
"Listen, have you heard of this new alliance that's being formed?," Kyosato turned his head back to Elana who seemed to beam from this question.  
  
He shook his head, having no recollection of hearing anything the whole day, but the clicks and beeps from the computer terminal he had been working at beforehand. He found himself much relieved in realizing that he had finally made some human contact after so long.  
  
"There's some talk among the other scientist about a few corporate people banding together," she explained, "You know, like 'Elite Theory'."  
  
"What about Elite Theory?"  
  
"Well, these corporate types are hoping to utilize some of our research and direct the project towards their own ends."  
  
"I could understand their interests in the Nuclear Sciences department," Kyosato folded his arms over his chest, "But interest in the genetic engineering areas could only amount to more useless crap those corporations bust out."  
  
Elana smiled, "Nice diction there, buddy."  
  
He looked down to his pants. "Hmm?"  
  
She chuckled, "You're such a pervert," turning back to her plasma-projected interface glass-monitor, she continued her calculations, "You should get back to work."  
  
"What?," Kyosato gave an innocently shocked look, "No, wait. Don't take it that way! I was just..."  
  
"Up to no good again?," that was Kenneth Reinhardt, friend of both Kyosato and Elana in high school back in the U.S. His specialization was in the Nuclear Sciences area, so seeing him here was rare. Ironically, it was usually him that was up to no good.  
  
"Oh, hello Ken, what's up?," Elana spun around to meet him.  
  
"Anyone ever told you how pretty your eyes are?," Ken gave one of his dashing smiles, one given by movie stars or those people who have something to hide. Kyosato always suspected if Ken was warming up to Elana every time he visited their department, but he had to keep his suspicions low, because he had no proof so far other than his incessant flirting with her.  
  
Elana shot Ken an incredulous look, "Whatever," she responded. With that response, she found no other purpose to continue another flirting sessions while she had to do work, so she spun back to continue her calculations.  
  
The blonde hair, blue-eyed scientist draped his arm around Kyosato, guiding him away from the area. "Y'know that Elana is one hot girl. I'm telling you, you should have asked her out in high school."  
  
"I just don't see myself with her, never have, never will. That's all!"  
  
"Even now, your balls haven't dropped or what?," Ken broke away to look at Kyosato with a narrowed eye.  
  
"Just leave the subject," Kyosato sighed.  
  
Ken's attitude perked up again as if shot full of adrenaline- too much adrenaline. "Don't worry buddy, I'll work the strings. You just keep doing as you have for the longest time."  
  
"No!"  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing," Kyosato shrugged it off and left without another word toward his station. He admired Ken's determination in things like hooking people up with others, he was the type that had charm and humor without the flaws of overdoing it. Out of all the best friends Kyosato had in high school, Ken was the only one that managed to pave his way to the same facility. At this point, if anything, Kyosato's approach towards Elana would be kept as a friend since he benefitted more from a friendship than anything more. Sometimes though, he wondered if Elana ever felt the same way in valuing their friendship more than making it more than that.  
  
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The thin piece of glass, that served as a projection surface for the holographic imaging rattled slightly. Elana had finished her calculations and had begun construction of the metal for the armor, based on the composition of elements found within the long shaft found in Antarctica. This shaft twisted perfectly and nearly ended to a point, there seemed to have been an upper part that was severed from it and the alloy in its construction seemed to have been bendable at one point in time without use of fire. This project was handed to her by the upper researchers and archeologists, in hopes that it would be synthesized in time for presentation which was next week.  
  
"What's missing here..." The holographic display brought up a core make-up that outlined a three-dimensional molecular model of the metal. Out of the twelve interlinking bonds of the atoms, three of them blinked red. Slipping on the Virtual-Work Gloves which signaled movement through infrared sensory and relay markers on the glove itself, she began to shift the molecule around, seeing if there was anything to be done to stabilize the imbalanced atomic energy. Going to the side, she tapped a corner on the glass and a menu-bar slide across the left of the interface showing a list of atoms that were available towards this piece.  
  
As though grabbing orbs, she took a couple of atoms from the list and placed them accordingly in some bond relative to her knowledge in this construction. When she got to the point where the atoms stopped flashing, she zoomed out and allowed the molecules to multiply out to a single square foot piece of maroon metal. Removing the gloves from her hands, she clapped them together in satisfaction with her work. The metal was ready for use.  
  
---  
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Plopping himself down to his black leather seat, Kyosato stared at the screen, the dimm horizontal lines rising across his screen entrancing him as he was lost in thought. As he searched himself, his mind, for all the thoughts that brought him back to proper focus, those key elements of his goal and determination, all that welcomed him was more obstructions towards a clarity of mind. Along the way, it hit him.  
  
"Shit! Now I remember..." he rotated his chair away from the monitor and towards Elana's cubicle, "I was suppose to ask her out to-" She was gone.  
  
First, he sighed. Then he leaned forward, propping his elbows onto his knees for support and looked at her cubicle from the hands whose fingers he bridged just under his nose. "Maybe some other time," he said.  
  
---  
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In the corridor unused in the facility, three people met in the light of a cigarette that burned from one of their lips.  
  
"So research is still going on in Antarctica?"  
  
"Of course. Did you think it was all done?"  
  
The one with the cigarette remained silent as the other two conducted the information exchange.  
  
"Look, we have the technology now. The Spear of Longinuss can be restored fully, although when it will be commenced is uncertain."  
  
"Make sure you do it soon. Playing as God is to be perfect in each and every plan. If they find the being who will doom the world to a pre-apocalypse state before we're prepared, then all is lost."  
  
The one with the cigaretted pulled the piece out and dropped it to the metal ground, stomping it out, embers rushing away. The two other men exchanged their disks and the third man finally said, "All is good." 


	3. Article S2Conspiracy

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The coming storm cast a gloomy backdrop upon the entire area, darkening the already dull colored industrial buildings around them. It all seemed to become a black-and-white movie. And amidst all this, a small lot that stood like an island held at its center, a tall silver tower surrounded by smaller domed structures, gradually sloping downward towards the end of the lot itself. Not much in terms on importance on the outside, it was a protective shell from attacks and a beacon for the U.N to locate the facility.  
  
In one of the open walkways that sloped out from one of the outer buildings, Elana sat back against the wall the ledge was adjacent to at both sides of the stairway downward, her legs dangling carelessly. Her eyes out to the coast a distance away, mind lost in silent ponderings. She expected Kyosato to eventually look for her in her apartment a couple levels underground, but it was one of those days she just needed to go outside on those rare times the industrial sites didn't operate, so the air was clear for a couple days. There were many times like these back in El Salvador, where she could sit alone and think whenever she had a vacation from college. What she thought about during all those times, were the mistakes and flaws she found herself making in life. All those opportunities she could have taken that extra step, made things much easier for her own existence. But she did not, which really pushed her more than she needed to during college. Now, it seemed to be the same thing here, except that the grounds were different.  
  
"Gehirin seems to be an approaching a dangerously close point to taking over most research."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Oh yeah. I don't know though, they'll be pulling in more scientists which the U.N need in preparation against those terrorists, y'know?"  
  
Peeking around the corner of her "quiet place", Elana spied two scientists taking their break, smoking their cigarettes to relieve the tension in their acheing muscles. It was becoming common to see smokers these days than it was a couple years ago, with all the problems of terrorists interfering with the progress of peace, it was becoming stressful for all those trying to support the tranquility in the world. She withdrew and laid back against the cold steel once more, gathering her lab coat about her to keep the cold breeze from chilling her skin. Elana continued to listen.  
  
"Although we have reached a critical point in cybernetics, I doubt they're going to use them for peace."  
  
"Of course not, its all for war. Everything that says otherwise is just some conspiracy to make the media think otherwise."  
  
"Hah!," a scientist scoffed, "Time to bring out the ol' 'Conspiracy Theory' books from college, don'tcha think?"  
  
The other scientist laughed, "Yeah, well some things just don't change. Heck, Gehirin might as well be behind the terrorist attacks and they just want easier access to our technology."  
  
"Quite possible. Going back to theories again?"  
  
"Got those books from college handy?"  
  
"Sure, its back over at---" the exchange faded down the corridor parallel to where she sat, the elevator down is where the passage led and that is where the conversation trailed off to.  
  
Elana placed her bare hands on the cold steel and looked up to where her small rectangular enclave ended a dozen feet above, where the continuing curve of the building that disappeared backwards beyond the fog. Pushing herself up, pulling her feet under her, she stood up shifting her focus down to the distance beyond the ledge below, where it just dropped a few feet before curving out to finally intersect with the stairs alongside it at ground level. She could easily fall those few feet, maybe knock herself unconscious before being mangled along the slope towards the end. Dusting herself off, she turned away and headed towards the elevator. Morbid thoughts are not to be wasted on someone who could do so much better! She was naïve.  
  
---  
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He hurled the "Conspiracy Theories of the UN" book out his office window.  
  
"Bullshit!"  
  
A knock at the door interrupted his meeting with the young german woman.  
  
"Come in!," Saul threw his hands up in defeat, sitting himself back down on his brown leather seat, looking down at the open file that was of the potential sites designated in the Dead Sea Scrolls for the location of the supposed "Angels". There were some papers under he sifted through, pictures of some possible locations and of the people who plan to excavate there. He was becoming hard-pressed to give Gehirn the finger, through all the pressure they were putting him through to issue out his resources in finding these things. He knew the dangers of finding these Angels, but it was not his job to question authority.  
  
His receptionist came in, clothed in a conservative blue and white suit. She had in her hand, a manila folder, which she gingerly handed to Saul.  
  
"Mr. Weisnberg," she pointed to the folder, "These are the blueprints for the conversion to the new facility commissioned by the United Nations."  
  
"More like a command from SEELE, damnit!," he tried to silently mutter as he recieved the file.  
  
The receptionist had no reaction to the familiar complaints, "SEELE is a new conglomerate. You cannot expect something commissioned at short-term by the UN to be capable of having higher authority." And at the moment she finished her speech, she started for the door.  
  
"Who made you boss?," Saul yelled at her as she left. Turning his attention down to the young Doctor Sohryu, he turned the folder over to her then nodded. "Take this, your research will be noted, but in the mean time, tend to these. There is no time to waste at this point concerning what you believe about the project or not. You are dismissed."  
  
She looked on innocently, nodding in silence before departing, the folder tucked under her left arm. Saul did not mean to be hard on the girl, but he found potential in her that may even be beyond his own during youth. There was this hint of destiny, a feeling of pride that this woman would hold some key into the success of himself and the world. Pride. That was something that pushed from the grave, a sin he hoped to put down. In the mean time, Saul sat idly in his seat, looking over the assorted papers that composed the supposed Cybernetic Augmentation Research Plan. Of course, the UN already had a department like that, but not as focused as Doctor Sohyru planned.  
  
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In the quiet hall, furnished with a few black leather couches along titanium walls, dotted straight along the hall with half-sphere light fixtures, the place seemed pretty empty considering how many occupants there were in this residential unit. Over the course of an hour, Kyosato had already turned side-to-side a few times in one of the couches, situated conveniently before Elana's apartment door. It was not like him to have the initiative to go looking for her, but it became a habit and he often wondered if he was invading her space. These thoughts often plagued him, despite the fact that there was enough support from others to put the thoughts at rest, yet stubbornly he clung to them. Busy with his Future Sciences Magazine, reading an article on String Theory, Kyosato did manage to withdraw himself from those insecure thoughts.  
  
"Kyosato?" she called from down the hall.  
  
He lowered the magazine and sat upward, first seeing the shady silhouette of a shapely figure. On the surface of his thoughts, Kyosato could easily think of naughty things, but inside himself, where he fought against reality, he felt nothing more than amusement. By the time his eyes changed from close to far distances, a feeling of distant dread tugged at him from some past thought. When the truth of his feelings presented itself, it came to no surprise that it was Elana's presence that drew up his past uncertainties, overlapping to present him with a unique sensation. But Kyosato seemed comfortable with it, making him wonder if he learned to like this sense.  
  
Elana nodded to him, "How long have you been waiting?"  
  
"Not too long, I just came down a few minutes ago," he lied, rolling up his magazine and fitting it in his left jean pocket.  
  
She was not that shallow, Elana knew he was only being polite and she felt a little bad for Kyosato. Ever since High School, Elana knew he liked her, he had always been introverted in a group of friends that were so extroverted. In a way, he reminded her a little of herself, that certain introverted part. In the final year of High School, though, she had pretty much abandoned most of that introversion, ever since her boyfriend came to her life. Elana had to sigh, because she knew Kyosato had known about her boyfriend during that final year in High School. At least they still managed to be friends at this point, despite the same small talk she and Kyosato always had.  
  
Drawing out, then fingering some keycards, she held out a silver tab and slid it over the scanner panel of her apartment door. A green light flickered on for a few seconds, followed by a soft beep. The silver apartment door pulled itself aside, blinding Kyosaro for a moment as the light poured out and around Elana's form. As his eyes adjusted to the glare, it seemed that Elana had already walked into the small kitchen to the immediate left of her apartment. The living room sported enough light to eliminate all shadows created by the scant amount of furnishings. A couple green plants at the corners, contrasting the white light from a couple lamp-stands. Everything in this place of hers had some shade of white, although stayed off of dark and gray colors.  
  
"You seem preoccupied," Elana remarked, preparing a pair of fruit beverages for them.  
  
Kyosato continued to look about the room. His mind relaxed through each selection of items he chose to look at, all clear and painfully holy in aura. There was a Bible in one of her two bookshelves, the spine's text lettered in gold, and the only book with a black cover, which made it stand out greatly. He felt a bit guilty at that point. Looking away, he hoped to avoid that feeling of regret, but it stayed with him. Long ago, he had renounced his Faith, because of he felt unworthy of it. Those that called themselves of the Faith, yet contradicted what they were with actions and remarks, disgusted him. Only a few of his friends long ago, held true to the principles of the Faith he abandoned.  
  
"Kyosato?"  
  
He was shocked back into his proper senses, looking at the pinkish smoothie offered to him, he nodded and took it into both of his hands. Putting the rim to his lips, he sipped a bit of the cold strawberry-flavored drink. Nodding to Elana with a smile, he was pleased with the pleasant sweetness of the drink that accentuated the aura of the entire place.  
  
The door behind him finally shut. It seemed pretty late, maybe a glitch in the door's programming, but nonetheless it drew his attention. He thought someone else had come, but finding a closed door instead, his mind left it alone. Kyosato heard Elana giggling.  
  
"What?," Kyosato asked in meek curiousity, watching her reach for something in her clear glass cupboard above the sink.  
  
Drawing out a black and silver rectangular box, the size of a fist, Elana raised it to her eyes, leveling it to Kyosato. A small lens that revealed itself to him as a flash went off, registered too late for a proper reaction, sealing his fate to her amusement and future mockery.  
  
Putting the camera aside on the breakfast-table just a bit beyond the sink, opening to the living room, Elana shook her head, easing from her revelry, "You got a strawberry moustache."  
  
Bolting for the restroom, likewise white in decor, Kyosato looked at himself in the mirror and cocked and eyebrow at the meager looking pink foam that barely lined the top of his upper lip. He questioned the significance of being alarmed by all this, also questioning how this could be of any amusement to Elana. Walking back out, he found her on the phone with someone.  
  
"Yes Sir," she acknowledged to the reciever in her cellular phone.  
  
He took another sip of his smoothie before asking her, "Who is it?"  
  
She held her fingers to the reciever, "Its Lieutenant Robins, he's issued warning of Terrorist encroachment on the-"  
  
She let her fingers go, "Yes Sir, Kyosato and I will head to Terminal Beta in a few minutes." Then again, she addressed Kyosato with the reciever closed off, "He's ordered a meeting of the Scientists. The U.N has sent an extra strike-force to secure the building, although I don't think there's enough time before we get a bullet shoved up our asses."  
  
A piercing sound that seemed like a loud hiss, followed by a thunderous roar that shook the apartment, caused both friends to address the door which rattled a bit from whatever occured outside.  
  
"Too late to second guess this..." Kyosato said as they exchanged looks of shock.  
  
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Even as one of the lightly-equipped, black suit wearing operatives, she felt a bit uncomfortable with the whole bombing, but she had direct orders from Lucifer to commence the agenda. Along with three other women of similar attire, she charged into the gray clouds blurring regular sight. She slowly maneuvered across chunks of debris, ignoring the number of corpses that either were made by the explosion in that spot or from the caving-in of certain rooms from it. Safely tucked away from any stench of sulfur or carrion, the masks equipped on all four of the women, also sported goggles that was able to pierce gas emmanations and pinpoint with infrared detection.  
  
"Report," came the garbled, deep voice. Lucifer.  
  
"This region seems to be clear. Shall we proceed to Terminal Theta?," she reasoned.  
  
"Take Sealiah with you, Sariel," Lucifer said to her, then shut off communications.  
  
Motioning for two of the operatives to take the route to the Recreation Sector, Sariel motioned the remaining operative to join her in continuing toward the main lift that would allow them access to Terminal Theta. Their plan was to make a hit-and-run against the U.N, helping whatever was planned toward the annihilation of SEELE. And deep at the core of this complex, Terminal Theta held a certain item crucial toward attracting the U.N's attention multiple folds. 


	4. Article S3Consequence

Silence and darkness. Vague sentences constructed in her mind, only garbles of images that did not mean anything specific. The crackle of each footstep on particles from the debris, echoing down the corridor that appeared red to her, some defining shades representing the contours of her surroundings. Somehow, she believed reality resembled such shades, altered by lens that kept the truth hidden, but still intact. She believed that although the path was shaped for anyone to travel on, there were hidden restrictions to reality that made it unwholesome, but safe to the general public. The Media was one such lens that hid the whole truth, keeping people believing that the media's perspective was the true perspective. Lucifer paralleled what the Media did.  
  
No, of course Lucifer was not truly the Fallen Angel. At least that's how she looked at it. Sariel was not even a Fallen Angel herself, but she had some deep instinct to choose the name she was presently called by. It proved the same with the others in her group, all with names of angels that had fallen from grace. And it seemed that a top CEO took an interest with Sariel, because of the special training she had as a short-term Navy SEAL. That CEO called himself Lucifer. This man seemed like a typical young businessman with too much money, slicked-back hair, black suit, blue tie, and would rather talk through a representative. But Sariel did manage to meet him once. Usually men would be gawking at her, bending whatever resolve that planned on keeping in her presence. But Lucifer kept calm and reserved about his opinions of her. She had a form between voluptuous and petite, sporting a beauty rivaling Kristin Kreuk in exoticness. Although that was not far from the truth of lineage, since she did have both asian and european blood flowing through her.  
  
A simple clatter of metal to stone triggered both she and Sealiah to lay their backs of the wall, holding two fingers to the side of their goggle, activating an extra scanning mode to track all vibrations down the corridor, showing up as intense blue lines whereever there existed a strong tremor. The resonance of sound echoed from a small steel plate that came loose from the damaged ceiling, relieving both women that there would be no "close quarters" confrontations for this time. Although both of them decided to take this path, both feeling compelled that this corridor led to something important.  
  
Free from the maze of rubble that hindered them, they found their speed doubled, yet remained to be silent -minus the scratching sounds their dirty shoes made on the flooring. A steel door, double-locked, had the label "Radioactive Testing Grid" in Chinese written to one side. No personnel could be detected. Wait, their goggles were set to the wrong scanning grid. Sariel rotated a switch at the side of her goggle and activated her infravision setting. She motioned Sealiah to do likewise. There was a bright heat signature on the far end, most likely leading to a bright chamber. Sealiah finished cracking the digital lock, by the time Sariel hoped to look through the small window in the door, the portal had opened. Her comrade pushed her to the side, a couple of shots from a well aimed gun impacting the wall behind where they had stood. Ricocheting bullets echoed across the hall, drawing mumbling sounds from that bright area on the far end of the corridor.  
  
"That was impressive," Sariel said sardonically, "Throw us to a den of lions, why don't ya!"  
  
Ripping two slim knives into both hands, Sealiah did not even respond. Holding both weapons in throwing positions, she rolled sideways across the threshold and threw the knives as she passed. After the thuds of knives hitting their mark, the sound of choking and gurgling could be heard in response.  
  
Sariel pulled out two silvery magnum pistols from her thigh-belts and turned to occupy the doorway, guns blazing in all angles to whatever remained. She was reckless in this, completely forgetting that this chamber had something to do with radioactive material. And luckily, she hit nothing but a few scientists and the two corpses with knives in their chests and guns at their sides. The chamber had a laboratory setting, with vials, tables, computers, and a sealed chamber at the far back. One scientist seemed to have the balls to watch Sariel, barely hiding behind a computer tower atop a work-table.  
  
Both guns raised to the scientist's direction, "You! Come here!"  
  
He was apprehensive in obeying her order, but it was either that or struggle to run and risk getting killed. But this was a woman, could they be really ruthless? Before he could think of it further, he found his body moving out with arms raised high, hands forward, palms open. It felt strange, if not kinky, to submit to a girl with guns. That was just his youthful geek-thoughts intruding in his mind again.  
  
"Your name?," she hooked her foot behind his knee and pulled him down with both guns' nozzles pressed to his forehead.  
  
"Kenneth Reinhardt," he said in a prompt fashion, unphased in emotion by the guns to his head. He was thinking of using some charisma to get this one off his case, but a gut-instinct told him not to.  
  
Withdrawing both weapons away, Sariel holstered one and motioned for Ken to stand up. "Clear."  
  
Sealiah slipped into the room and gingerly unsheathed her knifes from the corpses, wiping the bloodied blades across their white labcoats. "Bring him to Terminal Theta," she said to Sariel, "His libido should be easily contained." Sealiah locked her gaze to her higher officer, grinning with her pouty pink lips.  
  
Just as Sealiah was silent to her previous comment, Sariel did likewise with this one. Pulling off her goggles, Sariel glared at Sealiah with stunning hazel eyes. Pointing the magnum at Sealiah, she opened her mouth to say something, but found a lacking urge to evoke any words. Shutting her mouth, Sariel shook her head and left the room.  
  
"Score one for the underling," Sealiah smiled.  
  
Between the two, Ken could see that both operatives were stealth agents. Both were probably involved in the recent explosion near the Residential Level. He hoped that Elana and Kyosato were alright, knowing that they were both down there. The one with the guns was brown haired, this one near him was blonde. Both women had their hairs up in a bun, practically to make sure that their hair would not get in the way of their tasks. Just thinking about what these tasks were, made Ken feel like pissing in his pants. Yet keeping his self-control would be key in maybe liberating this place of these women. He smiled to himself, thinking how kinky these dominant-types were.  
  
"C'mon cowboy," Sealiah playfully slapped him upside the head, "You get to party with the girls today."  
  
"Great," Ken said dry with sarcasm.  
  
---  
.  
  
Stroking his gray beard, Saul regarded his newest stack of files to sort with some skepticism. One over another, these files were filled with a broad number of projects and tests of things that were all new ideas in this decade, most with no patents or government approval. He would guess that the scientist thought of him as the "government approval," despite how many rules he would be breaking by passing any of these through. Heaving a sigh, Saul gathered up the entire stack and placed it at the corner of his office, already stacked high with things yet to be reviewed. Although one file remained to be untouched on his table. Picking up the inch-thick document, he thought of tossing it carelessly to the pile. Bold letters drew his eyes to it, red and stamped alongside with SEELE's adopted symbol of a triangle with seven eyes.  
  
"Give me a few moments to get this straight," Saul had phoned his associate, Kouzou Fuyuzuki on a ship in Antarctica where Gehirin's key-members were positioned, "I am to head off the remainder of research in Shanghai?" The file with SEELE's seal contained a briefing on the research breakthrough on what was called "N2" explosives technology. Doctor Weisnberg was informed that he would be replacing an aging scientist there who was to be terminated from the project, due to lacking performance.  
  
A few moments later, "Alright, fine damnit! Just inform that damn associate of yours at SEELE that I don't appreciate being shipped from one country to another, like some damnable hot potato!" Then he slammed the phone down in its place.  
  
Fuyuzuki informed him that there was an additional problem in Shanghai. The secret laboratory there had been infiltrated by unknown operatives, traced currently by the triple-computer network system. This computer network was a prototype to what would be later, the MAGI computer systems. Each computer was named: Snoy, Snsnoy, and Smnglof. So far, it has proved efficient in keeping track of all things. Literally, keeping track of "all things".  
  
Slipping the file into his black leather suitcase, Saul kept the plane-ticket that was also within the file in-hand, leaving his office shortly after he informed his secretary of his leave. Saul felt that he had left a part of himself departing that building, somehow knowing that stepping into the deeper region of this UN Conglomerate would tear away his life as a member of this Earth.  
  
He was not far from the truth.  
  
---  
.  
  
Somewhere in the layers of maze-like corridors of the Shanghai (Beijing) Science Structure, Kyosato had led Elana passed all the darkness and rubble, up to the Conference Hall. This was not exactly a hall, moreso a very elongate Conference chamber in which the scientists would meet for special announcements from the United Nations. At this point, the special announcement was the State of Emergency, where Lieutenant Robins was heading off evacuation plans.  
  
"- And so, once the choppers get to the helipads outside, we need an orderly evacuation-"  
  
"Like if there ever was an 'orderly evacuation'," Kyosato muttered as he and Elana closed in on the cluster of personnel to Lt. Robins's.  
  
"- we will remain here until the Strike Teams send word of clearing this place."  
  
"He's got a manly voice," that was Reyna, a newly graduated Japanese girl from the Michigan Institute of Technology. She was speaking to Elana at the time, both girls were friends since Reyna arrived a year ago in Beijing. She had this cheerful attitude which was refreshing, but at this time when Kyosato found the suspense and danger exciting, it was quite an annoying contrast.  
  
"Miss Melina," Robins called out over the congregation, "since you will be the first of the junior staff to gain their Doctorate's Degree, I would be pleased if you could give the congregation your views on the reason for this situation."  
  
Just as every other action or representation of truth delivered by higher authorities, it only dissuaded the younger, more undirected and lost of the staff from making any further questions. But sometimes, Kyosato caught the lines of stress on Robins's forehead, showing clearly that he would have rather been in their ignorant positions than on the higher end. If ignorance is bliss, then the rest were yellow with envy.  
  
Provided that the four U.N. Soldiers guarding the doors would be sufficient protection against terrorists who were able to penetrate the facility, Kyosato had no worries. But the obscure fact that this was not a true state of emergency that was news worthy, meant that this facility was truly a Classified subject.  
  
"Right now," Elana seemed to be nearing the end of her impromptu speech, just ten minutes had gone by as she commandeered the podium, "I think that it is time to rest our minds and keep things on the down-low." Some did not understand what she meant by "down-low", but it was a common phrase back home in the suburbs which meant "hush-tone".  
  
Leaving the stage, Robins retook his place. Drawing a remote control from his pocket, he clicked the multi-panel screen behind him on. Each panel was two feet high, while the screen was 40 feet by 20 feet high. A widescreen that was usually used by the military personnel that had commissioned this facility a couple years ago while the Terrorist regimes were on their highs. Nowadays, while the threats were on the "down-low", the guys of the facility usually came together to watch sports channels on the satellite television connection. It looked like it was back under military jurisdiction again.  
  
"From Central Command to you," the Lieutenant began hesitantly, "I believe it is time to reveal what these Terrorists are after..."  
  
Curiousity clearly on his face, Kyosato stepped forward into the crowd of his fellow scientists. It seems like the mysteries of their diverse projects would finally be revealed.  
  
---  
.  
  
"Tessaract."  
  
"A wha- ?"  
  
"A tessaract," explained Sealiah, running her black-gloved hand over the key panel, "Its a bit hard to explain. I took a study in Quantum Universe. The way this keypad is configured, you would need some sort of knowledge in Theoretical Physics."  
  
"So can you decrypt it?," Sariel shifted her weight to her left leg, tapping the gun simply over her other arm impatiently.  
  
"Yeah right," Sealiah scoffed, "I understood the class, but I never tried passing it. That was years ago too."  
  
A gun snapped to Ken's direction, "Alright Science Guy," Sariel motioned to the panel, "You work here, so decrypt that panel."  
  
"I don't know anything about this," Ken said, "My clearance of this-"  
  
BAM.  
  
"Useless," she put her gun away with no regard for Ken's twitching corpse.  
  
Sealiah sighed, "We could have had so much fun with him. I mean, he was pretty handsome."  
  
"You want to be next?"  
  
Sealiah did not say another word.  
  
"Having trouble?," crackled Lucifer's voice on her removed headset.  
  
"You would know, how?," Sariel spoke into the reciever.  
  
"Analyze the panel fully, Sealiah. Understand that you must decrypt each dimension of the Tessaract."  
  
Sariel felt a chill go up her spine. She felt that her sense of security had been drained at that moment. Some part of her wanted to believe the supernatural theory that Lucifer was indeed the Fallen Angel of theological lore, but another fought against it. Logic would believe that there was some sort of surveillance camera on them. Yes, that would probably be it. With nanotechnology, it was entirely possible. Sariel comforted herself with that thought.  
  
" -by removing the dimension of time, which is signified by the lights tracing it, it will isolate into a solid light beam on the lines of the shape. Then you deal with the tesseract solely."  
  
"What exactly is a Tesseract?," Sariel knelt beside her partner.  
  
"Just listen to Lucifer's instructions as I work," Sealiah said without looking to her.  
  
"Now," Lucifer continued, "You have a cube that is squared. Put two fingers on two part of the inner-cube and two fingers on the other two parts and spread it back to the outer corners of the cube. You will notice that the inner-cube's lines are now not highlighted. Push the fore-corners of the cube back to make a square, so now it is two dimensions. Take the two points of the upper part of the square and push them down to make a line, which gives you one dimension. Close that point to a dot..."  
  
As Sealiah did so, the doors hissed open.  
  
"Do your stuff, ladies." And again. Lucifer shut his connection off.  
  
Both women stepped into the elevator, although Sealiah heaved a last sigh at the dead Kenneth Reinhardt. Whatever would become of the body, she only hoped that it would be respected. She was a stickler for proper burials, but she had no time to carry around a corpse to make sure it was buried properly. You could not really trust the governments to do something proper nowadays.  
  
The slight hum of the descending elevator put Sariel into a sort of trance. Her mind escaped to other thoughts, she felt like crying. How she ruthlessly silenced that scientist, who did nothing but follow. So cold, yet so sweet. Her first husband proved to be a chauvinistic pig, making love to her and leaving her out of it. He was not like that when she dated him, but it would be expected because he was a pervert. She hired an assassin not longer after she divorced him, it did not stop the pain of mistake in her heart, but it dimmed the wound. Sariel saw her husband killed. Dressed as a pedestrian, the assassin passed him and left him dead with a bullet through the side of his head. Deep inside, she felt pity but did not cry for some reason. Only at the funeral, did she give any sign of sorrow, tears coming down profusely.  
  
"No," she muttered with eyes shut. Kenneth did not deserve to die, but she had labeled most men worthy of death. It was only from the denial of losing her husband, because she was so vengeful from her epiphany. He was a good hearted man, a good provider, but she did not feel the appreciation she wanted.  
  
-Stop worrying-  
  
She opened her eyes toward Sealiah, despite the fact it did not sound like her, "Did you say something?"  
  
Sealiah shook her head, "Why?"  
  
"Nothing," Sariel sighed, then returned to her thoughts.  
  
-I forgive you-  
  
Then it grew to some sort of shape, the voice seemed vaguely familiar.  
  
-Until then...-  
  
Just as the elevator lift lowered into the immense dark space of Terminal Theta, a single long tube highlighted with blue and white spotlights at the center. Sariel discovered that the voice triggered a buried familiarity within her mind. Drawing upon all her memories, she summoned it out and called openly.  
  
"Seth!" 


	5. Article S4Catalyst

An apocalypse, whether biblical or random, would incur a major change in the history of the world. History, only if people survived an apocalypse. For who is to write history if there was no one there to survive? But why contemplate this? Because it could be contemplated. Because the council of twelve people have contemplated this from the start. SEELE was a part of the U.N bureacracy, hidden for a while until media started leaking SEELE's involvement with political and economic deals in different countries. Some suspected a conspiracy for global domination, others suspected they would undermine some of the world governments. Whichever the case, SEELE was there, to protect or to control, they were there and that was all.  
  
The Tamil Tigers were brought into the fray. Taken from Sri Lanka amidst bitter strife with their government, the rebels were recruited because of their ferocity in battle and method of success in the field of terrorism. These were the types of people Lucifer recruited under the noses of his elite, suicide-bombers, snipers, and demolitionists who know no sympathy or regret. These kind of wolves in sheep's clothing, are the ones Lucifer deployed secretly not far from the secret science facility in Beijing. The map he recieved was labeled Shanghai to dissuade any who did not know their history.  
  
Specifically code-named, Devil, for his beet-red skin color and black tattoos all over his arms and chest, the teenage leader of the Tamil Tigers gathered a large portion of the Tigers imported here, scoping the scantily populated area of the industrial district this late afternoon. In his single left cybernetic eye, he eyed the tower whose sides boxed in a slope up to the center, almost to the sky. At least that is how it was represented to him, having never seen such objects in such an obscure design.  
  
The sounds of fighting and setting-off of explosives rattled here and there, surrounding Devil with the pure sense of the Hunt. Yes, that is what they called their objectives. Like tigers through the jungle, they hunted in this urban stretch for the very thing they were required to accomplish. But why did they fight for this man? Why did they fight for Lucifer? Because he promised power and wealth to his men. Personally, Devil did this for the Hunt itself. For each one that feel to his Tigers, Devil felt evermore closer to that peace of mind, that somehow the deaths of many would equal the lives taken by the Sri Lankan government. Devil defied his own commanders in coming here, brought a bunch of the elite into this suicide mission against the United Nations. But overall, this was for the people.  
  
"Eelam!," he called out to his front-runners in battle.  
  
"Eelam!," he called out, the word for Tiger that had usually sparked the nationalist ferocity in the soldiers.  
  
Their forces had bypassed nearly a thousand Chinese Communist military, killed thousands more of them with demolition material. And with only a couple hundred armed children nearing their teenage years as soldiers, they were doing better against armed veterans than he thought possible. Ah, the thrill exhilarated Devil to the fullest.  
  
It would be a hundred more yards before they reached the gates of the facility.  
  
----  
.  
  
Asmodeus walked into her master's black marbled office in professional blue attire, low-cut blue skirt, a blouse left open to show the cleavage of her C-cup breasts, her blonde hair up in a bun which was held in place by two blue chopsticks. She looked a bit disappointed toward the black leather executive seat whose back was turned to her, as though she expected much more than just that plain backside of a seat.  
  
"What is it?," that deep masculine voice sent a shiver up her spine, but she did well to hide the welling excitement in her.  
  
She approached the wide glass table, barely cluttered with any papers. There was a glass LCD monitor to her right, facing the chair of the executive of the Van Baal Corporation, it pulsed a blue light at the chair, shading it with its color. This meant there was a message waiting for him, but he was ignoring it. It was most likely her request for a meeting with him that was waiting on his computer.  
  
"How could you stand me up last night?," her voice calm and soothing, yet hurt.  
  
"I was preoccupied," he replied from behind the seat, "I'll make it up to you."  
  
She set her hands upon the glass table, leaning forward to a point where any man could see her breasts better if he was just facing her. "You don't love me do you?," her voice growing stronger and more annoyed in tone.  
  
The executive chair turned, presenting Asmodeus with the contemplating, hair slicked-back, well dressed, young executive of the corporation. Lucifer. He gave her an inquiring look from his downcast gaze, that look which showed a young man holding back the power he had subtly kept hidden. Asmodeus's history with Lucifer was one of a short romance, told by the very hardened gaze of the man. Lucifer was the top of his class in Yale, Asmodeus was only second behind him, they were both lovers ever since they started there. She was assured by Lucifer's hubris in his success, that she was free to sneak a few men under the sheets. But Lucifer caught on quickly, using the friends that were her friends to notify him of what was occurring. He never confronted Asmodeus about it, which worried her after their graduation. It was the coldness deep in his eyes that set that reminder of her sin --her lust. She had torn them into a cold relationship, and she knew very well the consequences if she pressed something that was not there.  
  
"Of course I love you," he put simply.  
  
"Then why don't you show it?," she stammered.  
  
Lucifer lifted his head, looking at her steadily without any clear expression of his thoughts on his face. "A night in bed is all you want. That isn't love, but you are too stubborn to realize that--"  
  
"Fuck you!," she yelled at him, pushing herself away from the table and stepping back, "I've spent weeks trying to be clean with you, the least you could do is give me a hug or a fuckin' kiss, for god sakes, Tim!"  
  
"You want a hug?," he asked sardonically. Propping his elbows onto the table, he knitted his fingers together and leaned forward. "Why don't you hug some of those other men you've been with?"  
  
"I've been with no other men," she whipped one hand aside in emphasis, ignoring the fact that he was persecuting her for the truth.  
  
"At least not anymore," reaching under the table, he pressed one of the few triggers that he equipped for special tasks in the room. One, was the delivery chute that came through the side.  
  
The marble wall to the far side slid open smoothly, presenting a black tube that connected down behind the wall to another level below. A strong gush of air pushed through the tube and it was not long before three ball-sized object shot out and rolled across the ground --they were all human heads.  
  
"You...," Asmodeus's shocked face pleased Lucifer immensely. Her eyes filling with the tears he yearned for her to have, the pain in them that swelled the pride in his work.  
  
"And don't call me Tim anymore," a smile crept onto Lucifer's features, "That ignorant boy is no more."  
  
"Why did you have to do that to them?," Asmodeus yelled at him in frustration, the tears streaming down her cheek.  
  
"Before you enter the Oracle of Delphi, there is an inscription that says, 'Know thy self'," Lucifer said to her, "And it would seem like you should take that bit of medicine."  
  
"You could've talked to me instead, you bastard! They didn't deserve to die!"  
  
"Mammon, Belphegor, and Leviathan, can always be replaced. I was tired of knowing they were sleeping with you, even during college," just thinking about what he said almost made him laugh, the very fact that Asmodeus would need to resort to some men of lower standards and intelligence to get her 'kicks'. He had become a cold person, a cold killer if one would rather prefer it, but he blamed it on Asmodeus for driving him to this. Why he could have ever trusted her or his friends. It just goes to show that you could not trust anyone easily in this world.  
  
Before Asmodeus could respond, he tore his hands free from their formation and whipped his arms out to the side. Just as he did that, the air seemed to contort, a growing anomaly birthed by his motions which grew into a blob-like yellow glow. This anomaly grew big and fast, then narrowed into a stream of channeled force that impacted Asmodeus's entire being, sending her flying back. She landed only a scant few feet from the double-doors, meters away from Lucifer's desk.  
  
"Pathetic," he reclined in his seat.  
  
Turning to his computer screen, he pressed a key on the keyboard. "Sariel, what's the progress on securing the objective?"  
  
----  
.  
  
"Boss," Sariel returned to her headset's reciever, "The objective seems to have gone unstable after we disengaged the first pressure-lock on the tube."  
  
"You have five to go through, so do it."  
  
"Yes, well Sealiah is doing just that. The problem we see is that there's nothing we can contain this thing--"  
  
The darkness surrounding them was all. Minus the lights illuminating the central containment tube, holding some thrashing large humanoid within its cloudy blue contents, there was only the metal bridge that stretched from the main floor, over the black waters below, to the tube's base.  
  
"Release and retreat if you cannot handle it. My operatives outside will handle the rest," Lucifer directed with all seriousness, "I will be sending the operatives in the U.N. Taskforce to pick you up."  
  
Sealiah applied her knowledge of digital locks upon the second lock, rewiring and at the same time, punching in different sets of keycodes in hopes to crack the lock faster if the hot-wiring did not work. She learned these skills outside of her standard military training, just as Sariel learned combat outside of her military training. Often wondering how the other team fared, it did her no help to continue being distracted in her work. The cold in the chamber seemed to have gotten to her, noticing the shaking in her left hand, so susceptible to temperatures.  
  
Sariel turned the comm-unit off, "Sealiah, you have to hurry. Lucifer isn't giving us much time..."  
  
"Yeah, yeah," she responded in an annoyed fashion, waving Sariel off.  
  
----  
.  
  
Reyna hit her silver Compact Disc Player to her left palm, "Damn protection slips!" Once again, her Japanese Pop Mix CD had failed her.  
  
Having talked with a few comrades, Kyosato walked toward Reyna after hearing her curse. "Anything I can do to help?"  
  
"No thanks," Reyna just threw her hand to Kyosato's direction, "Rip and Rag Industry of America... I swear!"  
  
"What do you mean Rip and Rag?"  
  
She looked away from her Disc Player and to Kyosato, "Its the nickname I've given to the Recording Industry. You know they have accelerated their copy-protection on songs. In a couple years, they will probably encompass all songs with their protection crap!"  
  
Kyosato smiled as he folder his arms over his chest, "I don't doubt that. I mean, considering the increase of Person-2-Person programs online, it'll make a whole number of music groups into no income at all. Woe to the one-hit wonders!"  
  
"Yeah, their fault for being in the industry if they only make 'one-hit wonders'."  
  
"You can't blame them. Only the public knows which is a hit or not. Think about--"  
  
Sounds of gunfire could be heard, although muffled by the closed doors of the chamber. It was definitely just outside.  
  
The abrupt interruption shocked Reyna, loosening her muscles and dropping her CD-Player to the ground. Luckily, it did not shatter. Some part of her wanted to cry out for safety, that part of her that felt the need to be secure. She often wondered where she could find that in her life. She turned to Kyosato for an answer.  
  
He grabbed her by the wrist, "C'mon," and they both ran with the others up to the stage to get some distance from the doorway. The metal walls that boxed the chamber in seemed to tremble with the crossfire outside, men and women fighting the assailants of the facility.  
  
Reyna considered it, fighting the unknown.  
  
Elana pushed through a group of scientists, "Kyo!"  
  
Releasing Reyna, he turned to meet Elana, "What's wrong?"  
  
"Where's Ken? He's not here."  
  
"Oh shit," Kyosato looked to the doorway, "Whether he's dead or alive, we have to get to him."  
  
"Nah shit, sherlocke!"  
  
An explosion splintered the metal doors open, body parts of their Security Personnel flying in with the metal shrapnel that had injured a few scientists who were daring enough to remain in the door's vicinity. Plumes of black smoke escaped into the chamber, following the clouds of debris. Two laser-points entered the room and travelled about in a near-random fashion, eventually lining its sights on the group of scientists on the stage.  
  
"Something tells me they aren't here to rescue us," one of the scientists murmured to another. 


End file.
